Home hopes: Tancock and Spofforth seek pool podium as men's gymnasts face final challenge

The eyes of Great Britain will again turn to the pool tonight with both Gemma Spofforth and Liam Tancock in with a chance of adding to Team GB's medal tally.

Tancock, a master over 50m, will view making the podium as success in the 100m backstroke, and the 27-year-old eased through his heat yesterday morning before finishing second in last night's semi-final, behind Frenchman Camille Lacourt. Spofforth meanwhile has a genuine chance in the women's event of the same distance, with American Missy Franklin and Emily Seebohm, of Australia, the main opponents. The Briton qualified in third in her semi-final last night, while Britain's Georgia Davies finished last.

After taking six medals in Beijing, GB's rowers are tipped for further glory. Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins begin their double sculls campaign at Eton Dorney, while Tom James, Alex Gregory, Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs-Hodge start the defence of the coxless four title they won so dominantly four years ago. The men's Eight side, silver medallists in 2008, compete in today's repechage for a place in the semi-finals, as do the women's quadruple sculls.

A Louis Smith-led men's gymnastics side take their place in today's final after superbly outperforming China in qualifying on Saturday. "I've never experienced anything like it in my life, it was the best feeling in the world," said Smith, who also qualified first for the pommel horse final.

After the women's side's opening success last night, Great Britain's men's hockey side begin their campaign this evening when they take on Argentina, and 1988 gold medallist David Faulkner believes the 2012 vintage are superior to the team he won with.

"With the core skill, and technical, tactical and physical elements, I would say the '88 lads couldn't compete with this group," the GB hockey performance director said. "In terms of depth of talent, this group exceeds the '88 group."

The individual competition in the archery gets under way at Lord's this morning, with Larry Godfrey and Alison Williamson heading home hopes. Both will hope for more success than was delivered at the weekend, when both men's and women's teams went out in disappointing fashion in the opening round.